Penn State DL Dani Dennis-Sutton mocks Michigan with sign-stealing celebration
All eyes are on the Big Ten showdown between Michigan and Penn State on Saturday afternoon, following a topsy-turvy week that saw coach Jim Harbaugh suspended over the program’s ongoing sign-stealing investigation.
After a big play in the first half, a Penn State defender hit Michigan with what appeared to be a celebration poking fun at the sign-stealing scandal.
Defensive lineman Dani Dennis-Sutton recorded a sack and then came up and began his celebration. He pulled out what appeared to be imaginary binoculars, pointed them toward the sideline, then put them down and proceeded to write something on his hand.
The Michigan sign-stealing scandal began when the NCAA began investigating Michigan over allegations that staffer Connor Stalions had purchased tickets to several games to scout future opponents in person, using information gleaned at those games to steal signals.
The scandal has caught up coach Jim Harbaugh in the crosshairs, with the Big Ten taking action to keep Harbaugh off the sidelines until the end of the regular season.
Michigan and Harbaugh had hoped to get injunctive relief prior to today’s contest against Penn State but were unsuccessful in getting a temporary restraining order.
Without a temporary restraining order in time, Harbaugh will be ineligible to coach Saturday. There was hope from Michigan it would be in time so he’d be on the sidelines.
Harbaugh even traveled with the team to Penn State. But, the head coach won’t be working in a vital top 10 showdown for the Big Ten and College Football Playoff race amid the sign-stealing investigation.
The ex parte motion is the latest act in a flurry of legal moves by attorneys representing Michigan and Harbaugh. They must be working in overdrive, because just hours after the Big Ten first announced the suspension for Harbaugh on Friday, those defense teams for Harbaugh and Michigan were able to draft up 20 pages worth of documents to file for motions.
They first filed a breach of contract complaint to the Big Ten for violating their own due process rules in punishing Harbaugh prematurely. Then, they tacked on a temporary restraining order request allowing for Harbaugh to remain on the sidelines for now, since his absence in any game would cause “irreparable” harm to the team.
On3’s Nick Kosko also contributed to this report.